# BRD-284 — Controlled substance, prescription drug and pyrotechnics brands are not carried

> A brand whose business is controlled substances, prescription drugs, or fireworks and pyrotechnics must not be registered for A2P messaging.

- **Rule ID:** BRD-284
- **Layer:** Brand (`BRAND`)
- **Checks:** `brand.vertical + brand fields + website content`
- **Severity:** BLOCKING — Breaking this rule gets the submission rejected outright.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** AI judgement over the submitted form
- **Fix type:** Hard stop — not remediable, resubmission will not help
- **Required by:** Sinch, Bird
- **Applies:** Applies to every 10DLC registration.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/brand/brd-284/

## Why this rule exists

Prescription and controlled-substance messaging is excluded because unsolicited drug texts are a recognised harm and the channel cannot verify a prescription; fireworks are excluded on straightforward safety and legality grounds that vary by state. Licensed pharmacies are the case that surprises people, and the boundary is between messaging about a patient's own prescription and promoting the medicine itself.

## How to fix it

A brand whose business is controlled substances, prescription medicines or pyrotechnics cannot be registered. A licensed pharmacy or provider messaging its own patients about their own care should describe the programme in exactly those terms, since that is what the carve-out turns on.

## Provider rejection codes

| Provider | Code | Resubmission allowed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sinch | `7005` | no |